Chapter 425

She couldn’t resist adding a reminder for Seth. “You’d better hold on tight, Seth. Bianca is quite a catch. When she was abroad, she had several European nobles vying for her attention.”
“I know,” Seth replied seriously. Newest update provıded by
Yvonne then shifted the topic to Harcourt Group, trying to probe for information. “Now that you’ve started your own company, you haven’t been involved with Harcourt Group at all. My knowledge of the company is probably the same as yours.”
Seth told her, “The group is managed by a team of professional executives now. He doesn’t have to worry about much. My own business is more demanding, so I really don’t have the time to split my focus.”
His response left Yvonne at a loss for words. She knew she could only push so far; after all, she was only his future mother-in-law. Bianca shot her a look, signaling her to drop it, and Yvonne fell silent.
In their minds, it didn’t matter. Seth was Wade’s only son, the sole heir to Harcourt Group. It was a foregone conclusion, not something they needed to worry about.
Wade personally drove Noreen to the Winrich Capital offices. On arrival, Noreen invited him in for a tour, and he accepted. He was curious to see how her new company was faring.
His visit was impromptu, and he worried that Noreen might be unprepared or that a new company would inevitably have some organizational flaws. To his surprise, the entire office was running like a well-oiled machine. Even with their boss hospitalized for several days, order and efficiency had been perfectly maintained.
By the end of the tour, Wade’s admiration for Noreen had only grown. He sat for a while in her office, and after sipping the tea she had prepared, he got to the point.
“The Rivercrest Chamber of Commerce is holding its annual conference soon. I usually preside over it, but my health isn’t what it used to be, and simply don’t have the energy for it this year. I was wondering if you might have the time to attend in my place.”
Noreen was so stunned she shot to her feet.
Her shock was justified. An invitation to the Chamber’s annual conference was an opportunity most entrepreneurs could only. dream of. Even as the richest
vel
woman in Rivercrest City, she might not have met the Chamber’s stringent membership criteria. The conference was the largest, most prestigious, and most influential gathering of the city’s business elite, bringing together the best and brightest from every industry.
“Mr. Harcourt, I… I’m afraid I wouldn’t do a good job.”
While she had accompanied Seth to countless high-stakes meetings, it was always as his assistant. She had almost no experience commanding such a stage herself. She didn’t have the confidence to accept such a heavy responsibility.
Wade gestured for her to calm
down. “You’re only attending on my behalf. I’ve already delegated the organizational duties to other members of the Chamber. Think of as a chance to learn and gain experience. There’s no pressure.”
“I’m just worried I’d fail to meet your expectations.”
If she were attending on her own merit, she wouldn’t have these reservations. But representing Wade meant she had to consider the weight of his reputation.
“If you don’t feel up to it,” Wade said, his tone still gentle, “then we can pretend I never mentioned it.”
***